Moving to the Houston Area

Updated on May 18, 2011
E.S. asks from Keller, TX
9 answers

My family and I are looking into a move to the Houston area. I'm not familiar with Houston at all, but from a little online research I am leaning toward moving to Spring. That area looks like it will provide a short commute for my husband and a good school district for my children. The district I am looking at is Klein and specifically WindRose or Louetta Glen neighborhoods, but I would love some input from moms in the Houston area. Is there a different area you would suggest? What are the pros/cons of living in this area? ANY feedback would really be appreciated!

ETA: My husband will be working near 45 and Richey Road.

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M.A.

answers from Orlando on

Do some research on the Woodlands. I have friends that live there & love the schools & it is right off of 45.

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S.B.

answers from Houston on

I live in Spring and my daughter graduated and son will graduate from Klein High School. We are in Memorial Northwest. Its an older subdivision with lots of trees. WindRose is nice but it is really big. Many sub areas in there. Glennloch Farms is nice as well. We have lived here for almost 6 years and really like it. We enjoyed the kids going to Klein High. Wasn't thrilled with Doerre Intermediate. Klein has a wonderful music department and the education is top notch. Welcome!!!

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J.F.

answers from Omaha on

I grew up in Spring and attended the Klein district schools. I have family there, with children enrolled in Klein schools. I'd go back, given the opportunity. Enjoy!

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P.B.

answers from Houston on

I live in the The Woodlands and LOVE it. We live about 2 miles from 45, just west of Lake Woodlands, so it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to get to Richey road from my house. You DON"T want to live in Katy if your husband is working at Richey and 45 - WAY too long of a drive and the traffic on the west side of town in disasterous - it would take him almost 2 hours in rush hour traffic!!! Especially if you were in FULSHER!! Although I have to say, Katy Mills Mall is a blast and Dosier's meat market in Fulsher is fabulous!!!! I've lived in the Houston area for over 30 years in various parts of town. The Woodlands has Exemplary schools - and both High Schools are rated higher than most schools in the STATE!! I'm on the PTA at College Park HS and the principle keeps us up to date on what's going on in the district. Conroe ISD (which includes the Woodlands) is the 2nd rated school district in the STATE for academics, fiscal responsiblity (we're one of very few currently in the black with 35 million in reserves - totally unheard of) and kids graduating. Over 90% of our graduates go on to higher education and I'm sure it's even a higher number who graduate but I can't remember the exact number. People from all over come to our school district to see what we're doing RIGHT!!! Even with the federal and state budget cuts, there'll be very little change - maybe a one student per classroom increase.
We do live in a bubble here though, but it's a great one to be in. The Knox Jr. High and College Park HS have much more diversity than the McCullough, Woodlands HS system, so depending on what you want for your kids, will depend on where you want to look for your house. (most of the apartments and low income housing feed into Knox then CP, The Woodlands was actually started on a HUD grant and almost all of that is in the front of TW. Most of the new construction is in the back and traffic is terrible back there trying to get to 45.) Enough on here, if you want to know more, send me a response!!! I've lived here for 17 years.

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K.M.

answers from Houston on

Sorry I haven't posted this sooner - I'm a bit behind on my email stuff.
My family lives in Spring on the west side of 1-45 which is the Klein ISD. When moving to the Houston area 10 years ago, we were considering either Klein or Cy-Fair which are both excellent districts. The elementary and intermediate schools that we are zoned for are mostly on the exemplary list, and occasionally recognized, for their outstanding scholastic acheivements (Haude and Strack fyi). Do not be influenced by new school building vs. old school building. We've found that the best and most experienced teachers are at the latter, having started our oldest at the newer Schindewolfe Intermediate and being re-zoned to "old" Strack.

We live in Cypresswood Glen, a subdivision that is about 20 years old or less, and has a nice mix of young families through retirees. We are 1-2 miles from 1-45, and my husband worked at 1-45 & Richey for a year. His commute was about 20 minutes. Now he is downtown and catches the bus at the Spring Park & Ride.

Spring has grown tremendously in the past 10 years but still has a small town feel; it's not unusual to turn off a busy road to find yourself looking at cows. There are several very good farm markets if you like fresh off the vine produce. Every kind of store is here and for le-de-da shopping The Woodlands' built-up mall and Market Street areas are available. For a fun, lazy day there's Old Town Spring which is an eclectic collection of shops set up in old historical clapboard buildings, if you like that stuff. It's also a straight shot downtown, car or bus, and by taking the Sam Houston around it's pretty easy to get to the Galleria area (get an E-Z Pass for the toll-booths). Tomball, where there are some neat shops and the annual German festival, is 10 miles west on 2920.

Katy is too far from your husband's work and I-10 is not fun.

Happy hunting. Hope I've given you some useful information. I have more if you need it.

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D.S.

answers from Houston on

I live in Katy. Paticualary old Katy. Old Katy is like a small town with big town ammenities.. New Katy is a big town atmosphere with big town problems. Katy schools rank some of the best I think higher than Spring. Old Katy is close knit. Katy mills mall is cheap price wise. It is cheaper to shop there than buy used. Depending on where your family will be working should be a factor also. I was told when I moved here to stay on the west side of houston. Less gang activity here Less flooding here. I personally love Katy. Firethorn is a great area if you are buying ahouse. Everyone I know there loves it.

Now if you want a real country feel consider brookshire but the schools aren't very good. Or consider Fulshear. There school system is good it less than 10 miles from Katy. From what I see on the news spring seems to have a high crime rate. They make the news alot. I don't know alot about the other areas in Houston metro. Traffic in Katy is generally good.

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B.D.

answers from Houston on

I currently live in Gleannloch Farms, which is close to Windrose, Memorial Northwest...kind of the Champions area. Gleannloch Farms and Windrose are both master planned communities, so they will have more amenities than the smaller neighborhood. For example, both have golf courses. Gleannloch is larger than Windrose and has ball fields, several pools, lakes, and horse riding facilities and stables There are homes in many price ranges in both communities. The elem. school for part of Gleannloch is Hassler and it is an outstanding school. That is were my children go. There is also another school at the back of Gleannloch and it is excellent as well. It is Frank Elem. and the population is a little more diverse there.
I also teach in Klein and the curriculum is challenging, but it prepares the children well. We have lived in Gleannloch for 11 years and couldn't ask for a better place to live. When we were looking at houses 11 years ago, our same exact house was about $90K more in the Woodlands. While the Woodlands is beautiful, it is more expensive and you will get less house for your money.

Another neighborhood which is off of Gosling and is very close to The Woodlands is Auburn Lakes. It is a nice community as well, not as big, but has a nice selection of homes.

I don't think that you can go wrong with your children going to Klein schools. They are run well and are fiscally responsible as well. Like all areas, there are more desirable neighborhoods and schools than others. You just have to do your research.

Feel free to message me if you need more info.

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S.N.

answers from Houston on

I am going to say I live in Klein and my kids go to Klein schools. I have discovered that if you say you live in Spring people think it is on the other side of the freeway and that is Spring ISD. Klein and Spring are completely different. I love Klein and I love the Klein district. Honestly, if you stay in the Klein area you can't go wrong. Houses are so cheap right now it is crazy. I think WindRose is a good subdivision. I don't know about Louetta Glen. I am not familiar with that one.

D.K.

answers from Houston on

Welcome to Houston. I have lived in Houston for little over 30 years and I to have moved in various areas and of course have friends all over. All though The Woodlands is a great place to live and beautiful and about the only neighborhoods that keep the life of trees as manditory when they started building there and Schools are good. I actually recommend Cypress. There schools are are actually Rated very hight across the nation and Texas. My daughter has had many opsticles to hurdle in her learning ability and they are one in few that actually have really great programs for that. Not sure if that is a need for you or not, but I thought I would throw it out there. I will tell you to Klien actually rated higher the Cypress one year which actually surprised me, so if you do choose that area just watch what area you live within those boundaries. The district may be great but I would say not all the schools are just like any area you move to. I recommend in Cypress North Lake Forest, Coles Crossing, Rock Creek, Stablewood Farms, Sydney Harbor. I actually know how difficult this time can be not knowing anything about the area you are about to endure. I am having to relocate because of my husband as well to State College, PA. BRRRRRRRR. Oh one last note. If you happen to try the Cypress area, your husband can always hop onto the Beltway/Sam Houston Toll Road to get to work as well.

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